


A Memory of Younger Days

by SkyLeaf



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:41:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28366329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyLeaf/pseuds/SkyLeaf
Summary: Even in an era of peace, fate makes it so that a school trip provides them with a chance to meet, and while the adventure they find themselves headed towards is far from an epic quest to save the world, that does not make it any less life-changing for Link, Zelda, and Malon.
Relationships: Link & Malon, Link & Malon & Zelda, Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Malon & Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Kudos: 4





	A Memory of Younger Days

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little fic I wrote because I want to see these three get a chance to be happy after everything they went through in Ocarina of Time. I hope you will enjoy it :)

The sun coming in through the tall windows above her head almost made the gallery look like the fairy-tale castle her teacher had promised to show them when they had put on their jackets, but as Malon cast a glance over the contents of the room, she could not help but feel cheated. With the crowds around her and her teacher raising her voice to make herself heard in the noisy room, there was little of the magic, charm, and grandeur she had imagined to be found. Where were the gold furniture and the rugs, the chandelier and the jewellery?

Turning towards Link, Malon decided that with her teacher trying to guide the rest of her class through a set of double doors into the next room, the risk of her hearing the two of them talking with each other was low, giving her the courage to let go of his hand for a moment to instead shield their conversation with her hand as she whispered. “Where is the castle? Are you sure we are in the right place?”

Link simply shrugged, his eyes fixed on the piece to their right, a painting of some man Malon had never heard about holding a sword as he stared back down at them. Malon barely managed to suppress as shiver, craning her neck as she looked ahead to see whether or not their teacher was about to tell them to turn around so that they could return to their normal classroom. With the way she was gesturing towards a bust, Malon barely able to hear how she mentioned something about an earlier monarch over the sound of the other people within the museum, it did not appear to be the case.

Tugging at Link’s hand to get his attention, she repeated her question. “Link! I really don’t think we are in the right place—I mean, just look around! Where is the castle? Where are the princess and all the thrones and stuff?”

This time, Link finally responded. Tearing his gaze away from the painting, he mirrored her attempt at guessing when their field trip would be over before quickening his pace slightly as an old man was about to step in front of them, momentarily blocking their view of their class. “I dunno. Maybe they have taken it to some other place to make room for us.”

It sounded logical enough. Malon hated to admit it, but if she looked around and took in the sight of the other people who had decided to visit the wing of Hyrule Castle that had been made into a museum just past midday on a Wednesday, she had to admit that if they had gone to her house, she would probably also have moved all the things she did not want to see be ruined by the boy who had stopped a couple of metres behind them, a melting ice-cream cone in his hand. But still, Anju had told them about the legends of the royal family and how Hyrule’s royal family was one of the oldest in the world; the least they could have done was to let her see the actual castle rather than some boring museum.

In front of them, the rest of the class made a sharp turn to the left, Malon and Link following along behind them, trying their best to not be noticed whenever Anju would turn around to ask them if anyone knew when so-and-so had been the queen, or if their parents had told them any of the legends to help them fall asleep at night, but just as Malon was about to raise her hand to ask when they would be going home, a girl stepped out from behind a statue, almost colliding with them as she moved to cross the room.

“Hey!” Malon exclaimed as she took a step backwards, the little sound of Link trying his best not to let out a yelp and reveal to Anju that they were not exactly staying with the group letting her know that she had indeed stepped on his foot. “Watch where you’re going, will ya?”

For a moment, the girl looked almost like she could not understand what she was saying, a puzzled expression making her eyes wide as she looked first at Malon, then at Link, before turning around to look at the room they were in. Finally, a smile that looked a bit too much like what Malon had seen that time Mido had poured flour into her shoes to see how she would react, a goal he would have achieved had it not been for Anju noticing what he was trying to do, spread across her face, and before Malon had time to react, the strange girl had grabbed her hand, pulling her along with her as she darted forwards.

The only thought going through her brain being that this was not something her teacher had prepared her for when she had explained to them how it was important for them to stay together with their assigned buddy to keep them from getting lost as they made their way through Hyrule City, Malon tightened her grip on Link’s hand, making him run along after her as the girl in front of them ducked under a table, weaving in and out between the sculptures Anju had told them not to touch, jumping into the path of some couple, to finally reach a corner in the room where the only decoration was an ugly-looking plant.

There, she paused, but before Malon got the chance to ask her what she was doing, why she had not listened to their teacher when she had told them to stay close to the group at all times, the girl had already turned around, pressing a finger to her lips as she whispered to them. “Shh, don’t let them know that you are here!”

Shooting Link a glance, Malon knew that she should head over to Anju to ask them about who ‘them’ were, but before she got the chance to do so, Link had stolen the opportunity to, with wide eyes, look at the girl and ask her exactly that. “Don’t let who see us?”

“The pirates,” the girl whispered, pulling them a bit closer as she pressed a hand against the wall behind her, “they are after me because I have unearthed secrets and treasures they could only dream of possessing. Right now, I am hiding from them, but I will need you help to ensure that they will not find me.”

Instantly, Malon could feel how the temptation of the offer to help someone on the run from pirates far outweighed the field trip. Simply imagining her father’s face when she would return home to tell him about her day was enough to ensure that. But, still, even though Anju had not exactly included being on the run from pirates when telling them about what they were not allowed to do while inside the castle, she had a feeling that it would have been on it if she had been able to see them now. Trying to hide her disappointment, Malon shook her head. “My teacher is not going to let us run from pirates; she has actually told us that we are supposed to write a story about one of these paintings for next week, so we don’t have the time to help you.”

The girl bit her lip, looking annoyed. It only lasted for a moment, however, before the annoyance had given way to another bright smile as she held up her hand. “Wait, I just had an idea! I could show you a painting for you to write about!”

“But the pirates,” Link said, his voice shaking slightly as he took a step closer towards Malon, “aren’t they going to catch us?”

The girl shook her head, brushing off Link’s worries with a flick of the wrist. “Ha, I have already shaken them off! Now, come, I know about this amazing painting that you simply have to see.”

Even before she had turned to look over her shoulder, Malon knew that she would find that her class had already left, having moved on to the next room in the exhibition, but that knowledge did not keep her blood from becoming ice as she looked through the room, only to see a bunch of adults she could not remember having ever seen before. A single glance at Link was enough to confirm that he had noticed it as well, the little pull at her arm letting her know that he was waiting for her to get them back to the class. So that was exactly what she would have to do.

Taking a deep breath, Malon squared her shoulders and looked at the girl. “We can’t, not when our teacher told us not to leave the group.”

“I run away from my teachers all the time,” the girl argued, still not letting go of Malon’s hand, “I am sure that you can explain to them that it was a national emergency that forced you to overlook your orders. Besides, I know where the best paintings are, so, really, it is probably best for you to come with me. That way, you can get the chance to look at the paintings without any of these other people around you to be in the way.”

Almost as if the girl had known it would happen, a little boy bumped into Malon, his mother talking into her phone as she walked through the room. That was what made the decision for Malon as she looked over at Link. They had been able to hide for this long. With a bit of luck, Anju would not even notice that they had been gone, and if she did, they could always just tell her that it was because they had got the opportunity to look at the paintings without having to push through the crowds that had gathered in front of every other interesting sculpture. The moment Link gave her a little nod, not once glancing at the strange girl, Malon turned to look at how she was seemingly searching for a spot on the wall, pressing her hands against different parts of the floral panelling that covered the walls, the answer clear in her mind. “We are coming with you.”

With a gasp, the girl abandoned her search for whatever the secret hidden within the walls may be to instead swivel on the tip of her shoe. Before Malon had even got a second to prepare herself, the girl had thrown her arms around her neck, bringing her into the tightest hug she had ever experienced, the girl chatting excitedly through it all. “Really? Goddesses, that is amazing, I can’t wait to show you everything! I mean, father said that—well, it doesn’t matter what he said; he will never have to know about this. Quick, come with me!” finally releasing her hold on Malon, the girl stepped back, shooting a glance behind her.

As Malon turned around to see whether the girl might have caught a glance of the pirates she had been running away from, the sound of a low, metallic murmur forced her to continue the turn, finding herself looking at how a section of the wall had swung open, revealing a narrow corridor behind it.

Waving at her, the girl had already stepped into the corridor, dragging Malon and Link along after her. “Hurry, don’t let them see you! I am actually not allowed to use the escape routes you see, so we have to hurry.”

“Wait,” Malon called out, suddenly regretting not having listened to Anju. Perhaps there really had been a rule about what to do when running from pirates, “shouldn’t we—”

But before she got the chance to finish the sentence, the part of the wall that had first allowed them to enter the corridor closed, leaving them in darkness. Happy that the lack of light at least hid the way she knew her expression was sure to reveal her fear, Malon tried to take a step closer to Link, only for the girl to pull her in the opposite direction, seemingly not caring about the fact that they were now not only feeling from pirates but also stuck in the darkness of a corridor they could not be sure was free of spiders.

Still, it would appear that the girl had either not thought about that or simply didn’t care, for Malon could hear how she was tapping on the wall, whispering to herself as she moved further into the corridor, her tight hold on her hand forcing Malon and Link to move along with her. “It is here somewhere, just wait a moment, then I will find it, just—ah, there it was!” the next moment, the sound of something electric whirring filled the corridor, light soon flooding them from what Malon could now see were lamps that ran along the walls, revealing not only that there were no rats running past her feet, but also that the corridor seemed to continue on for far longer than what should be possible given the size of the wing that had been made into a museum. The girl, however, did not appear to worry about any of that, having already begun to run towards a goal Malon could not guess what might be, only stopping for a moment to throw a comment over shoulder. “We are almost there, just a little longer now.”

That, the fact that even after they had walked into some passageway Malon was growing even more certain with every passing moment that they were not supposed to be in, they were still not standing in front of the paintings the girl wanted to show them, was what gave Malon the strength to dig her heels into the floor, remaining where she was even as the girl tugged at her arm for a moment before, with the surprise clear in her eyes, turning around to face her.

“Why did you stop?” the girl asked, sounding honestly confused. “We have yet to arrive at the paintings I wished to show you.”

“We are not supposed to be here,” Malon hissed, looking over at Link for support, “our teacher told us to stay with the group, didn’t she Link?”

Link nodded, opening his mouth for a moment before closing it again.

Accepting that that was the extent of the help she could expect to receive when standing up to a complete stranger, Malon turned back towards the girl again. “And you are not part of the group, so we are not supposed to be here with you.”

That seemed to do the trick, the girl stopping to look at Malon and Link with a slight frown, clearly thinking of something to say. The silence did not last for long, however, the frown disappearing in the blink of an eye to instead be replaced with a clever smile as the girl nodded towards them. “But we can be a group, can we not? Just the three of us forming our own little group for the day?”

“I—” Malon was moments away from telling her that they very much could not do that, but the words died on her tongue. If she was honest, Anju had only told them that it was important that they all formed a group and that everyone knew which group they were a part of. Try as she might, she could not find any argument against what the girl was saying. With a shrug, she took a step towards Link, the girl following along instantly, almost like she knew what Malon was about to say. “You know what, that might actually not be a bad idea.”

“Of course it isn’t,” the girl said, her bright smile almost being enough to keep Malon from noting the way she stood up a bit straighter, a confident expression making her look almost like Anju had done earlier that day when she had told them to be careful while crossing the street, “what are your names?”

Gesturing towards first Link and then herself, Malon answered the question, deciding that, if she had been there, Anju would have agreed that the girl’s idea was not that bad. “This is Link. I am Malon.” sending a glance in the direction of the girl, Malon waited for her to tell them her name as well, only to be met with an heavy silence as the girl, seemingly not understanding the little nod Malon sent her way, knitting her brows rather than answering, just stood there, looking at them almost like she could not understand why Malon did not follow along when she tugged at her hand.

Finally deciding that no amount of waiting for her to get the hint would be enough, Malon tried not to let her voice sound too much like Ingo’s would do whenever her father would fall asleep in the middle of the day again as she gestured towards her. “And what is your name then?”

“Oh!” the girl’s eyes widened, her expression changing to, for a second, give off the impression of someone who had not thought that she would have to answer that, but the next moment, the smile was back again, the girl making a little curtsey, gathering up a fistful of dirty fabric from her pink dress to keep it from touching the ground as she spoke. “My name is Zelda.”

“Zelda?” the sheer surprise of hearing Link speak up without being spoken to directly was enough to make Malon turn around, hearing how Zelda did the same from the sound of a worn-out shoe being dragged over the floor. Already looking like he was beginning to regret not having stayed quiet, Link looked down at the floor as he continued. “Like the princesses in the legends?”

As Malon gave Link’s hand a little squeeze, trying her best to smile at him without Zelda noticing, Zelda nodded so vigorously that it sent her hair flying around her face, almost making it seem like she was caught outside in a storm. “Yes, like the princesses. But I am nothing like them—I am a fearless pirate who has sailed all over the world, discovered priceless treasurers, and fought against the cruellest of monsters. Yes,” Zelda breathed in, raising her chin as Link took a step towards her, forcing Malon to follow, “really, I am the one they were afraid of, and why shouldn’t they be?” a little hop put her closer to Link, but Zelda did not seem to worry about how close she had come to landing on Link’s feet, instead finishing the jump with a series of steps Malon could not remember having ever seen anyone do before, making a little kick as she gestured wildly towards the wall in front of her. “With a blade in my hand, I am an unmatched opponent in both this country as well as in the rest of the world!”

“Really?” Link asked, his voice already filled with so much admiration that Malon did not have to look at him to know that he had already forgot everything about Anju and the rest of the class.

“Well, maybe not the very best. My instructor is better than me.” Zelda’s smile dimmed a little, but the next moment, it was back again. “But she is also an adult, so that doesn’t count! But come on; I promised to show you something that was more interesting than the boring paintings in the public wing, and although it is not quite able to rival a pirate, the paintings that have been put on display in the drawing room are still captivating! Come with me!” without wasting another word, she turned on her heel, Malon once again becoming what she already knew was deadweight to Zelda as she struggled to keep up with her while she darted through passages and around corners, a couple of times stopping whenever the corridor would split into two before making a decision and continuing to run towards her unknown destination.

It felt almost wrong to admit it, but as she was pulled along through yet another section of the corridor, once again having to push against the wall with her shoulder to keep herself from losing her balance as Zelda, having seemingly found something new to throw all her attention and enthusiasm at, dragged her along, Malon could not help but wish for Link to have at least as much of a hard time as she had with navigating the castle. A single look back at where she was holding onto his hand like her life depended on it to ensure that he would not be lost inside the maze that was the corridors Zelda had dragged them into, however, was enough to show her that that was very much not the case. Quite the opposite, in fact. Where Malon had seen him duck beneath a table just as they had entered the museum to keep Mido from spotting him, now, Link looked almost excited at the prospect of getting to see the paintings Zelda was still rambling about as the air around them grew colder. With a sudden sensation of her stomach falling to the floor, digging through the stones there to continue into the ground, Malon realised that, rather than looking at her, Link was looking over her shoulder, towards Zelda.

She should have said something, should have smiled at Link and let him know that they were still buddies, having been put into the same group since kindergarten because, as Anju would have told them before singing the song yet again, “it’s l, m, n, meaning that Link and Malon are next to each other in the alphabet”, but before Malon got the chance to do anything other than wonder if she would be able to figure out how to get back to their class if she yanked her hand out of Zelda’s grip, Zelda stopped.

It all happened so quickly that Malon barely got the chance to step to the side, avoiding Zelda by what felt like centimetres, not that Zelda seemed to care as she turned around to look back at them. “It’s here,” she whispered, pointing towards the wall in front of her.

Try as she might, Malon could not see how it should have been clear to her that they had reached their goal, but evidently, Zelda could see the signs as she moved to press her hand against what must be some kind of button, the wall swinging open.

Deep down, Malon knew that the last thing she should do now was to let go of Link’s hand—those last couple of minutes had made it all too clear that, while she could not name the reason why exactly, there was more at stake than just the fact that Anju had told them not to let go of their buddies while at the museum—but the room she stepped into the next moment made all those thoughts disappear.

It was magnificent. That was the best word she knew to describe it, the way Anju had looked out over the class while asking if anyone knew what it meant when the author had said that the meal was magnificent appearing in Malon’s mind as she took in the sight in front of her.

Columns that reached all the way up to the ceiling several metres above her head, windows that looked like they were even taller than her dad, panelled walls, it was all so much more than what had been in the museum, so much more like what she had expected to see when they had gone to Hyrule Castle. But even then, it was the painting in front of her that really caught Malon’s attention.

Most of the painting consisted of a green field that looked almost like their back garden at home, but there had still been made space for a girl in a white dress who stood with her head pressed against the muzzle of a horse with a white mane and reddish-brown fur.

“Pretty, huh?” Zelda said, having gone to stand to her right. Although she knew that she should have turned to look at where Link had gone, right then, Malon could only nod vaguely, still too captivated by the painting to even answer, not that it kept Zelda from continuing. “My father has told me that it is the work of this famous painter… uh…” with a little sigh, Zelda shook her head, “I always forget his name, but I am sure that it was something with a P. I will just have to ask my tutor later. Right now, you two have to come and look at my favourite painting!”

“Wait—” Malon began, fully intent on saying that it was fine, she had already found the painting she would write her story about, but Zelda did not give her the chance to finish the sentence, having already bolted towards the other end of the room, Link running along after her. That was what tore Malon away from the painting, the way Link looked over his shoulder to catch her eye as Zelda led him towards another painting. With one last glance back at the girl and the horse, Malon walked over to join them where Zelda had stopped, all three of them now standing in front of a painting that almost reached the ceiling.

Already before Zelda had gestured towards it, Malon recognised the people in it from the book on Hyrulean monarchs she had been allowed to borrow from the library even though she had not technically been old enough for the difficult books yet. With the crowns on their heads that almost seemed to reflect the light coming in through the windows and their calm expressions, it was apparent that they must be some of the rulers of Hyrule whose reign had been tumultuous enough to give them a big chapter in the history books.

“That’s Queen Zelda the twenty-fifth.” with a tone that already told them that she was the reason for why this was her favourite painting, Zelda gestured towards the woman who looked down at them from within the painting, a calm smile not quite being able to hide the tired expression in her eyes. “And that is King Link, her husband. He fought in the Second Hyrulean Civil War; father said that he was made a general and that the people loved him so much that he was the first commoner who was able to marry into the royal family. I think father looks up to him a bit, but, really, Queen Zelda is the more interesting of the two—did you know that there are multiple sources in the library that details how she possessed a powerful kind of magic that had not been seen in ages?”

Malon heard the question. She heard every word of what Zelda was saying, but even then, her brain must have decided to stop fully paying attention. Deep down, Malon knew just when it had been, but that did not mean that she wanted to admit it to either herself or Zelda and Link. Instead, she kept her gaze firmly fixed on the way the queen’s crown shone in the painting, forcing herself not to look at the king at her side, much less think about the fact that, of all the names he could have had, it just had to be Link.

Given her own silence, it should perhaps not have surprised her that it would be up to Link to answer Zelda’s question, but that did not keep her from wishing that they had stayed with the class when he spoke up. “No, I haven’t ever heard about that before.”

With a grin, Zelda looked away from the painting again, placing her hand on Malon’s shoulder as she spun around. “Well, father also told me that it was a family secret—I don’t understand that at all. If _I_ had magical abilities, I know that I would have told everyone about it, but maybe it was different back then. I don’t really know, but I will have to ask Impa about it. What about you, Malon, what would you have done if you were able to change your appearance at will?”

She had to give her an answer. Malon knew that. She had to answer, just like she had to respond whenever Anju asked a question, but unlike the way it usually was in class where she loved to speak in front of people, knowing that it would mean less time where Link had to do the same, right then, she just wished to disappear.

“Malon?” she felt how Zelda stepped closer to her, lightly patting her shoulder. “Are you all right? Are you ill? Father always tells me that I am bad at recognising when it is best to stay in bed for the day, so I am truly sorry if that is what is wrong.”

At the mental picture of her spending the day in bed just like her father liked to do whenever Ingo wasn’t around to yell about profit, laziness, and something about the free market, Malon wasn’t able to suppress a little smile. “No,” she mumbled, reaching up to wipe the tears that had gathered in her eyes away with her sleeve, “It’s not that. Just… well, you and Link, you all have people in here who are named the same thing as you, but I don’t have any of that. I am just…” feeling how Zelda’s hand became heavier on her shoulder, Malon paused to search for the right word, “I just don’t fit in.” next to her, Malon heard how Link reached out to hold her hand. She let him.

Meanwhile, an expression she did not know what to think of flickered across Zelda’s face, something caught between sadness and pain. “I…” for once, Zelda did not appear to have more energy than her entire class was able to generate together, “I am sorry. That was not what I was hoping to achieve, I just wanted to show you that painting because I think that Queen Zelda had one of the brightest minds of all time. I never meant for you to feel like you did not fit on…” and at once, from one moment to the next, her posture became energetic again, the joy and warmth returning to her eyes as she took a step to the side, twirling around to stand directly in front of Malon, “but I have an idea about how I can make up for it! Come with me, both of you, I have something to show you!” taking a couple of steps towards the far end of the room where a set of white double doors kept the rest of the castle hidden from view, Zelda turned around again, this time looking a bit sheepish. “I mean, just if you want to, of course.”

There were more people named Link and Zelda than there were people named Malon. That much, Malon could remember from the class where Anju had commented on the fact that they had three Zeldas in their class alone, telling them that the name’s popularity was in part due to the number of princesses born into the royal family who had been given the same name, and partly caused by the legends about said princesses, with Link enjoying the same popularity. Casting another glance back at the painting where the king and queen were still staring down at her, their unblinking eyes making her shiver slightly, Malon decided that it wasn’t Zelda’s fault that she had such a popular name. In fact, Malon reasoned, maybe it was actually better to have a rarer name. At least that way, she did not have to worry about having to add her last name onto her name to know when the teachers were talking about her.

Looking at Link to make sure that he was not waiting for her to tell Zelda that they really had to get back to their class, Malon nodded, already running towards Zelda as she answered. “Yeah, we are coming now.”

Zelda led them through another set of rooms and doors that made Malon feel like she had gone into a labyrinth rather than a castle. At least, this time, she was able to look at the sky and the various flowerbeds in the courtyard of the castle through the windows in the room they passed rather than being left to wonder just where she was as they passed through passageway after passageway, each and every one of them looking just like the one before. Drawing rooms, halls, and corridors, they all blurred together in Malon’s mind as she followed along behind Zelda, the feeling of being left out quickly disappearing as she tried to guess what it might be that she wanted to show them. It couldn’t be a painting, Malon was sure of that, not with the way Zelda had smiled at them, clearly excited to show them something they had never seen before. But then what was it? As much as she tried to think of something, Malon found herself unable to find the correct answer to her question, her thoughts constantly being interrupted whenever they would enter another room, Malon having to spend a moment simply looking around to take in the sight of it all.

When Zelda finally stopped, she did so in front of a door that did not at all match all the finery of the rest of the room. But the way she crouched down, waving Malon and Link over to join her made it clear that she was just where she wanted to be, so Malon did not hesitate to walk over to join her, Link following along behind her.

“We have to be careful. Here, look through the keyhole.” moving a couple of centimetres to the side to make room for them, Zelda continued, still in the same hushed whisper. “The guard is meant to pass through the hallway on the other side of this door every two minutes, so once he has left to complete his round, we have to quickly run across the room to the door on the other side. You can see that, can’t you?”

With one eye pressed shut to look at the door Zelda had mentioned, the guard in front of it being easy to spot with his helmet and spear, Malon nodded. “Yes, I see it.”

As Malon moved away from the door to give Link a chance to look, Zelda continued. “All right. I am actually not allowed to be in this part of the castle and certainly not allowed to be where we are going, so you two have to promise me that you will be careful once we get out there. I don’t want to be caught because of anyone else, okay?”

Malon nodded, already beginning to wonder whether it was really a good idea to follow her. “Yeah, I mean, of course not, but… are you sure that we should even do this if you are not allowed to be here? My teacher usually says that rules are there to protect us, so maybe it would be best to—”

“Of course I am sure about what we are doing.” seemingly not all that concerned about the risk of being injured, Zelda brushed her concerns aside. “It is just a matter of me not wanting to have to listen to my father lecturing me about responsibility and manners and proper behaviour and all that. I get more than enough of that from my tutors already. Besides, as long as we do not get caught, no one will ever have to know about this, so no one will even be able to be angry or annoyed. Anyway, Link,” at the mention of his name, Link moved away from the door to look at her, “is the coast clear?”

“Uh, I—I” Link said, stammering slightly as he looked through the keyhole once again before nodding, “I can’t see him anymore at least.”

“Perfect.” Zelda’s smile made it clear that, to her, the option of the guard simply having moved a bit or Link perhaps not having been able to spot him was not even worth considering. “We are going now. Follow me.”

Zelda was the one to push open the door, sticking her head out while being careful to hold on to the doorframe as she checked to make sure that the guard was not about to turn around to discover their presence. Of course she was. At that point, Malon had all but managed to forget about Anju and the orders to stick with the group and listen to the adults. Perhaps it was for the better that way; although Malon doubted that her dad would be awake for long enough to actually bother tell her not to do that again, she could easily imagine the disappointment in Anju’s eyes if she had been able to see them now, sneaking through the castle after Zelda, Malon for once holding onto Link’s hand to find courage rather than to assure him that she was still there and would make sure to answer any question. So she did not allow herself to think about her teacher. Somehow, as they all ducked to make sure that they would not be seen through the windows while running as quickly as they could without falling over, Malon was able to take the rules Anju had told them to follow and shove them all into a dark corner in her mind. Zelda had said that she was a pirate, and pirates did not follow the rules, everyone knew that, so, surely, Anju would be able to understand why Malon and Link had left the group when a real-life pirate had appeared to offer them the chance of both seeing art that was even more impressive than what was on display in the museum and getting Link away from the crowds that were there in every other room in the castle.

They reached the end of the hallway, Zelda instantly reaching out to open the door before stepping aside to, still gesturing wildly towards them, let Malon and Link run through first, only joining them when the last snippet of Link’s hat was sure not to be stuck in the door, closing the door behind her.

“Well,” Zelda said, pausing for a moment to catch her breath, the only sound in the room being that of their heavy breathing, “that was the most dangerous part of the journey. From here, we just have to jump out of that window over there, and then we should be there.”

From the way Zelda said it, making it sound so easy and simply, Malon should already have known that it would be anything but that, but even then, she had still not prepared herself for just what Zelda had really meant, a small gasp escaping her as she turned to look in the direction of where she was pointing.

Just as Zelda had said, there really was a window. That, however, was also the only part about that sentence Malon could see present in the room, as there did not appear to be anything simple about having to jump through the window. Placed high up on the wall, only a few centimetres below the ceiling, the window did not even have a windowsill for her to use to try to pull herself up to it, nor was it the same wide and tall windows that had been there to let in light when they had been looking at the paintings. Instead, it was tiny, looking like it would barely even allow her to get through it if she had been able to reach it in the first place.

For the first time since she had dragged them with her into the secret corridor, it seemed that Zelda realised that what she might regard as easy was anything but that, for she was quick to gesture towards the far corner of the room where the dark shadows almost made it seem like there were no windows at all. “If we just push that table over here towards the window, then it should be easy enough for us to climb up onto it and then continue onwards through the window,” she said, not hesitating for even a moment before walking over to do just that.

The sound of wood scraping against stone filled the room, harsh and way too loud, forcing Malon to ignore the fact that Zelda still had not explained just how they would make sure that they would not be hurt in the fall on the other side of the window to instead hurry over to her side to help her lift up the table, waving at Link to get him to join her.

“All right,” Zelda said, not even bothering to acknowledge the fact that Malon could still hear the noise her attempt at moving the table on her own had made inside her mind, “are you ready?” not waiting for an answer, she added. “We lift on three. One. Two. Three.”

Trying to use her own weight to ground her, Malon felt how the wood dug into her palm as they all began to move to the side with steps so small that it did not feel like they made any progress at all. But, at last, they were there, Malon fighting against the urge to let go of the table to instead place it carefully on the ground. Despite her efforts, though, she could still hear how the sound of the table legs collided with the floor filled the room, but as another second passed and the guard did not burst into the room, Malon was able to let out a shaky breath, already feeling how a little of the tension in her shoulders disappeared. A quick glance in Link’s direction told her that the same could not be said for him, Link having reached up to fiddle with his hat, twisting it around on his head, his hair moving along with it, the dishevelled look sure to alert their teacher to the fact that something had happened.

She did not get much time to worry about it though, for the next moment, Zelda had jumped up onto the table, holding out her hand as she looked down at them. “Come on! I am sure that you guys will have to leave soon, and I really want for Malon to see this!”

The fact that Zelda had apparently chosen their destination specifically for her made the decision for Malon. Sending the brightest smile she could muster in Link’s direction, she took Zelda’s hand, letting her help her get up on the table, before turning around to help Link as well.

With all three of them up there, Zelda pointed towards the window. “Okay, from here, I will be able to climb up to it on my own, so, Malon,” she took a step closer to the wall, kneeling down to cup her hands as she pressed her shoulder against the wall, “step over here, and then I will lift you up there.”

It was a bad idea. Every little thing about the situation, from the fact that it was almost completely dark in the room to the way Zelda did not look like she was nearly strong enough to lift her told her that, that they were not even supposed to be there in the first place, and yet, Malon only gave herself a moment of fear before she moved past Link, the small table not giving her much space to place her feet if she did not wish to fall off. It would be fine, she had to believe that, had to believe that there would be something on the other side to cushion her fall, or at least that was what Malon told herself as she stepped up onto the little platform Zelda had formed with one foot, placing her hands on the wall to steady herself as Zelda pushed her up. She was strong, a lot stronger than Malon had imagined, getting her up to the level of the window in the first try.

“Open the window,” Zelda said from below her, her strained voice revealing that holding up Malon was not as easy as she had made it seem, “the window catch is loose, so you can just push it open if you press on the right side.”

The window swung open, and before Malon got a chance to ponder the question of whether it was really a good idea to let herself be pushed through a window by someone who had both described themselves as a pirate, knew a bit too much about the secrets of the castle, and knew the guards’ schedules, she was pushed further up, barely giving her enough time to duck and wrap an arm around the back of her head as she used her left arm to make sure that she would not be stuck halfway through the window. For a moment, all she could see was the stones of the massive castle walls, her legs still dangling inside the room she had just left, but then, Zelda clearly giving one last push, she continued forwards, falling through air for what felt like several minutes before being met with a view of nothing but hay.

Pushing herself up into a sitting position, Malon tried her best to spit out the straws in her mouth, already abandoning all hopes of being able to lie about not having left the group when she saw the state her skirt was in, the dust and straws clinging to it.

“Are you all right?” Zelda’s voice reached her, only slightly muffled by the thick wall between them.

Getting to her feet, Malon could not keep back a smile at the mental image of Zelda yelling at the wall. “Yes,” she answered, climbing out of the pile of hay, “I am fine. You can send Link through now.”

Zelda did not answer her directly, but less than a minute later, Link came tumbling through the window as well, something Malon took as a sign that she had indeed heard her. Having lost his hat somewhere between the fall and the landing, at least Malon was able to somewhat assure herself that he had not been able to get a more graceful landing than she had.

Spotting the flash of green among all the hay that had been disrupted by its role as their makeshift pillow, Malon reached out to get it, taking Link’s hand to pull him away from the hay as well. “Here, I’ve got your hat. Now, you just need to move as well.”

She wasn’t a moment too early, as they had only just managed to step aside when the sound of what had to be footsteps against the wall alerted them to Zelda’s imminent appearance.

“What in the goddesses’…” Malon heard Link mumble, and she could only agree. Where she knew that Link had made a somersault on his way down, losing his hat in the process and landing in a heap of dishevelled hair and clothing, and could look down at her own clothes if she should happen to forget about how she could not have looked any better, Zelda, despite also climbing through the window headfirst, was somehow able to kick against the wall, twisting around in the air to land on her feet, bending lightly in her knees before standing up straight again.

“Okay, so,” Zelda said, already moving over to join them next to the pile of hay, either not noticing their disbelieving looks or simply not bothering to comment on it, “we are in the stables right now. If we just head through here,” pushing past them, she led the way, walking through a closed door to get to a long corridor, “then we should be there in a moment. You like horses, don’t you, Malon?” she turned around to, without stopping, look back on her.

Already trying her best not to cry as she caught herself mentally trying to count the amount of horse pens that lined the hallway, Malon could only nod, clinging to Link’s hand, feeling how he was looking down at her with a smile on his face.

It seemed to be enough for Zelda, for Malon just barely caught the smile she sent her way when she forced herself to look away from the pens before Zelda had swirled around to stop in front of one of the stalls. Reaching out to place her hand on the bolt, Zelda finally began to slow down a little, the hesitation clear in the way she pressed her fingers against her lips, not lifting the bolt but also not moving her hand away from it as she spoke either. “One of the mares in here foaled recently. My father says that she will probably be named after one of the goddesses, but he doesn’t have to know about this.” pushing the bolt up, Zelda slowly opened up the door, her measured movements making it clear to Malon how, despite not having done anything to even give them the thought that she might mind noise, she was trying her best to be quiet.

But then she caught sight of the foal inside the stall, and all other thoughts had to give way to that fact.

She was tiny. Even though Malon would be the first to admit that she had never been one of the tallest in her class, she felt much taller as she looked down at the foal. She was lying on the side in the hay, her even breathing making it clear that she was asleep, but even then, Malon could see why she would be named after a goddess. With her reddish-brown fur and the white mane and tail, she looked like she might just have escaped from the painting she had first fallen in love with. Despite the fact that it was obvious that she was still much too tiny to equipped with a saddle and all the finery she had seen in the painting, looking down at her, Malon could begin to understand why there had been mentions in some of the legends about how people had recognised the hero by his horse rather than any of his own features.

“Isn’t she amazing?”

It was the sound of Zelda’s whisper, low and fond, that reminded Malon of the fact that she was still there, that the world had not stopped to allow her and the foal to be the only ones left in the universe. Tearing her gaze away for a moment to meet Zelda’s gaze, Malon knew that there was nothing about the smile she sent her that was forced. “She is. Thank you for letting me see her.” noticing the way Link too had stepped forwards, leaning against the stall as he looked down at the foal, an unreadable expression in his eyes, Malon hurried to add. “For letting us see her.”

Zelda beamed at her. “It was nothing. Really, I am just happy that the two of you wanted to spend time with me today. Otherwise, I would have been all alone here, which, I mean,” she nodded towards the foal, the smile looking a little less sincere for a moment before she was able to restore it, “isn’t that bad, all things considered, but still. I am glad that I don’t have to be here all alone. Speaking of which,” Zelda almost tripped over the words as she pointed towards Malon, “would you be all right with us naming her Malon?”

“Malon?” Malon parroted, instinctively convinced that she must have misheard.

But Zelda only nodded. “Yeah. You seemed upset that there wasn’t a painting of anyone with your name in the gallery, so I thought that perhaps you would like to get the chance to name her Malon.” with a mischievous blink, Zelda reached out to pull a straw Malon must have missed herself from her hair, holding the strand in front of her face in the process. “I mean, if you close your eyes a bit and focus on the fur and nothing else, she does look a little bit like you, doesn’t she?”

Despite everything, Malon could not keep herself from laughing as she glanced back and forth between the strand of hair that still stuck to her face and the foal. “Maybe. But I don’t really think that she looks like a Malon.”

“Oh?” Zelda tilted her head to the side, the twinkle in her eyes making it clear that she already knew how the conversation would continue as she asked. “Well, then what name do you think will suit her? Because, not to place the heavy burden of naming her solely on your shoulders, but I did just tell you that it would now be up to you to pick a name.”

“I know. And I think that she looks like an Epona,” Malon said, somehow knowing that it was right even before she had got the chance to say the name. There simply was something about the foal and the way it looked almost like it was about to move to stand up, lifting up its rider as it reared, backlit by the sun just like she had seen the horses from the legends do in the books, that made her feel like it was a horse that was supposed to have a name that brought those kind of stories to mind.

“Epona, huh?” Zelda tapped against her chin for a moment, mirroring Malon’s pose as she looked down at the foal before nodding once. “Yeah, I would say that it suits her. After the horse from the legends, right?” when Malon nodded, Zelda turned towards Link. “What do you say, Link? Epona, that’s a great name, isn’t it?”

Making it clear that he had not expected to be brought back into the conversation, it took Link a couple of moments to even register that Zelda had spoken to him. Malon could almost see the way the words at first were nothing but background noise to him before he startled, the hat once again almost falling off from where he had yet to push it all the way down to his ears, Link stuttering slightly as he searched for an answer. “Well, yes, I—I would say so.” his movements growing a bit less sharp, he looked over at Malon. “Epona, that’s a good idea.”

The pride that bloomed in her chest upon the realisation that they both seemed to mean it, that Link and Zelda had both complimented her on the name, was enough to erase the last trace of the pain of realising that she was the only one who would not be able to find a painting of someone who shared her name within the gallery, Malon standing up a little straighter as she opened her mouth to answer.

However, before she got the chance to do so, the sound of boots hitting soft ground made all of them jump slightly, Malon barely able to use her hand to cover the gasp that made its way up from her throat in time as the sound of loud voices filled the stables, growing louder in time with the sound of the footsteps coming closer, quickly coming so close to them that Malon could make out the words.

“I think that she might have gone this way. You know how she is, constantly running around all over the castle. I just pray to Din that the king doesn’t have to hear about this—do you remember the last time we lost track of her? I don’t think I have ever seen him so annoyed, but still, that was nothing when compared to _her_. Goddesses, I swear, she acted like I was personally been responsible for the princess slipping away every time we turn away from her for even a moment, she—”

Malon did not get to overhear the rest of the conversation, Zelda having already moved to grab onto her hand. “Come!” she whispered, turning to take Link’s hand as well. “They are going to be here in just a moment, so we need to get moving!”

For a moment, Malon considered asking Zelda just where they would go, if she was hoping that they would be able to make their way back through the window despite the lack of a table on this side, or if she had simply failed to notice how the only other exit was through the doors in front of them, the voices of the men on the other side making it clear that they would not be able to remain hidden if they moved in that direction, but decided against it. With how Zelda did not waste any time before running out of the stall again, barely pausing to make sure she pushed the bolt all the way down before returning to lead them the last couple of metres towards the door, Malon had to believe that she had a plan.

It turned out that she had been right to assume that, Zelda nodding towards the first stall on the left side of the door, mouthing the words ‘in there’ as she lifted up the bolt, revealing a stall that, to Malon’s relief, was empty.

It wasn’t a second too early, Malon hearing the stable door in front of them squeaking on its hinges the moment after Zelda had closed the door to the stall behind them, all three of them huddling together on the other side, pressing their ears against the wooden door.

“I could have sworn that I heard voices coming from in here,” someone, probably a guard, said, the sounds of quick footsteps making Malon picture him spinning around on the spot like that would make the person he was looking for appear. Pressing her lips together to muffle the laugh the idea summoned, she looked towards where Zelda was kneeling, her expression for once looking thoughtful rather than excited.

With a loud, demonstrative sigh, the other guard responded, his voice making it clear how he was not happy to be there. “Well, clearly, the princess isn’t here. Now, come on, I am tired and not in the mood to listen to her lecture us about the importance of protecting the heir to the throne, ignoring the fact that we are simply stuck with a princess who does not seem to care about any of that.”

There was a sound of something being moved, Malon almost able to believe that it was just the sound of the guards having turned around to leave the stables again before the exclamation of the first guard made sure to let her know that that was not the case. “No, wait!” the sound of their footsteps moved through the corridor between the stalls, Malon counting inside her head as she realised that they were walking towards the window they had climbed through. “Look, there, in the hay! Doesn’t it look like somebody has landed in it recently?”

“Are you saying that the princess has been here?”

Tightening her grip on Zelda’s hand, Malon found herself shaking with barely suppressed laughter. They were talking about them. Though she might not know what reasons the princess had for running away from the guards, with how they were stamping about, not sparing a thought for the horses around them, she had to admit that she was already sympathising with the princess and her desire to run away, so if their own adventures within the castle could help her to do just that, Malon would not complain. However, as she looked over at Zelda, the frown on her face and the way she had paled over the last couple of minutes made it clear that she did not share that opinion, something Malon could not quite understand. If she was a pirate, surely Zelda would be able to understand why someone would be fleeing from the guards.

But before she had got the chance to ask Zelda why she could not be happy that they were helping someone who even shared her name, Zelda had moved, taking a slow step to the side, Link reacted instantly, crawling away to allow her to let go of him and reach up towards the bolt. Holding onto the piece of metal so tightly that Malon could see how her knuckles turned white, Zelda whispered, her voice only barely audible when they leant in towards her. “All right, we are going to sneak out now. Outside the stables and then to the left until we get to the courtyard. Understood?”

Malon had barely got the chance to nod alongside Link before Zelda, moving slowly to not let any rusty piece of metal creak, opened the door.

Doing her best to resist the urge to look back to at least catch a glimpse of the people they were running away from, Malon ran towards the stable door alongside Link and Zelda, whispering a prayer to the goddesses under her breath to not let the door squeak the way it had done when the guards had entered the room.

Apparently, they heard her, for Zelda pushed the door open with her shoulder without it making sound, all three of them continuing their combination of sprinting and crawling as they made it outside the stable, Malon not pausing for even a minute to take in her new surroundings, but rather following Zelda’s instructions as she ran to the left, feeling how her shoes sank down into the soft mud outside the stable door for a couple of steps before the mud was replaced with a cobbled pathway, low hedges lining it as it took them to past the stone walls of the castle, towards a courtyard that, to Malon, seemed to be a dead end. Zelda did not seem to worry about that though, so Malon followed her through the archway, into the courtyard despite the fact that her heart felt like it was trying to escape from her body and take her lungs with it in the process with how fast it was beating, the sound of Link’s heavy breathing next to her making it clear that he felt the same way as they continued their sprint into the middle of the courtyard before finally stopping.

Immediately, Malon threw herself down into the grass, not caring about the mud she could already feel staining her blouse. With the run through the mud and the grass, she knew that she was already far beyond the point where she would be able to lie to Anju about having stayed with the group the way she had told her to, not even to mention the fact that her lungs made her feel like it was ages since she had last been able to catch her breath.

Taking a moment to find the strength to sit up again, Malon could see how the others felt the same way, Link having gone to sit down next to her while Zelda stood with her hands on her knees, the only sounds that broke through the silence being that of the three of them trying their best to keep their lungs inside their chests.

“Goddesses,” Zelda said after a moment of trying to catch her breath, “that was sure something, wasn’t it?” with a twinkle in her eyes that made it seem almost like they had not just been mere metres away from being caught by the guards, she shook her head. “I don’t think I have ever been that close to being caught while still managing to escape—it really makes you feel alive, don’t you think?”

Sparing a glance at Link who, with his ruffled hair and the hat bundled up into a ball of fabric in his hand, looked like he could not have disagreed more with that, Malon shrugged. “Uh,” she began, already trying to figure out how she would tell Zelda that maybe it wasn’t a good idea to stay there, that they should perhaps sneak back out and leave the castle before the guards would be able to actually catch them.

She never got that far though, not before Zelda, clearly being used to running away from the guards, had regained her breath. Standing up straight once again, she held out her hands towards both of them as she sent them a smile. “But come on, there is still so much more you have to see! In the treasury, there is this statue that I know you will both love—I think it was made by the same man who—”

“Zelda,” Malon said, cutting through her excited rambling about some artist she could not recall having ever heard about before, the glance Link sent her as she did so making it clear how he was more than grateful for her attempt at making it so that they would not have to spend any more time running away from more guards, “maybe we should leave now, before the guards will actually be able to catch us, I mean. We aren’t allowed to be here, and I am sure that our teacher would be disappointed if she knew that we are doing this, not even to mention your teacher—”

If she had thought that it would be enough to convince Zelda, Malon would have been disappointed, for she simply shook her head as a response to all of her worries. “No, it is fine. Father has actually told me that this courtyard should be my own place to relax, so we are allowed to be here. Besides, if my tutor wanted me to remain indoors all day, he should have made his lessons more interesting—I don’t care how many time he tells me that it is important, etiquette is so _bo-ring_.” she sang the last two syllables, dragging both of them out as she sent Malon and Link a smile, clearly waiting for them to agree with her. When neither of them said anything, the laugh finally grew a little less loud, Zelda sighing deeply as she threw up her hands in surrender. “All right, then. If you don’t want to be pirates alongside me, then I guess we can also just stay here. Actually,” the disappointment leaving her voice from one moment to the next, Zelda turned around on the spot to point towards a window on the wall on the opposite side of the entrance to the courtyard, “there is something here you need to see. Come!” gesturing towards them, Zelda already began to sprint across the courtyard, only stopping as she reached a small platform to look back at them, waving at them to come over and join her.

Her legs ached, she was tired, and she wanted to sit down with the rest of her class to eat her packed lunch, but Malon still pushed herself up from the ground, stepping over to pull up Link as well.

Zelda looked more than a little pleased with herself as they stepped up next to her on the platform, smiling brightly at them as she pointed towards the window. “Look, here! My father says that it is not proper to spy on the people who come to seek an audience with him, but he isn’t here, so I can do what I want. And just look, doesn’t it look silly?”

Zelda moved to the side to make room for Malon and Link to look through the window as well, Malon having to use her hands to block out the sun to see anything.

The room on the other side of the window was massive, the red carpet leading all the way from the entrance that was only barely visible to Malon when she leant to the side to the throne that had almost been pushed up against the wall. Thankfully, the room was empty. Malon was not sure if she would have dared to continue to look if she had seen the king in there and known that every moment she spent standing there was another second that might lead to the guards finding her, Link, and Zelda in a place they were very much not supposed to be in no matter how much Zelda might insist that, as a pirate, she was allowed to go anywhere she wanted.

“What do you think?” Zelda prompted, causing Malon to remember that she was not alone, leaning away from the window to instead look at Zelda as she continued. “It almost looks a bit silly, doesn’t it? A room that large, only to hold a throne. I know that father says that I have to remember the symbolic value of it, that it is a way to show that there is room for everyone in Hyrule and that the king will listen to every single one of his subjects, but it just feels a bit unnecessary, right?”

“Sure,” Malon said with a shrug. To be perfectly honest, she was not sure she really had an opinion on the question of whether or not the throne room was needed. The only time she had ever heard someone discuss it was back when her father had been talking about having to discuss something about the delivery of milk to the castle with one of the king’s advisors, and even then, Malon could only barely recall how he was not looking forwards to having to leave the house.

But it would appear that her unenthusiastic response had been enough for Zelda, for she did not bother to ask her again, instead turning towards Link. “Did you know that just last week, the prime minister of the Gerudo Desert came here to discuss the details of a trade negotiation with my father?”

Sending a panicked glance in Malon’s direction, Link shook his head, something Malon could not blame him for. They had spent some of the first lesson of the day discussing the news, but what Zelda was talking about had not been among what Anju had mentioned.

“Well,” Zelda said, the expression on her face making it clear that she did not regard the fact that neither of them knew what she was talking about as a problem, “it happened.”

Still trying to keep track of what she was saying—a trade negotiation, what did that even mean exactly? Something about trade, clearly, but that was also all Malon was sure of—Malon cocked her head. “How do you know about that?”

“I am good at what I am doing! They didn’t even see me as I ran away from my tutor, and when you are standing just right, you can use the vaulted ceilings to let you hear almost every word of any conversation taking place in there.”

“Yes, but what do you mean when you say that your father—” Malon began, only for Zelda to slap her hand over her mouth the next moment, muffling the rest of the question.

“Shh!” Zelda hissed, silencing Link with a single glare as he moved towards her, perhaps to ask her what she was doing. “Someone’s coming.”

She was right. Malon had not noticed before she had pointed it out, but as she stood there, Zelda still not letting go of her, the sound of footfalls was unmistakable, just as she could not ignore the fact that whoever they belonged to was walking towards them, the sound of boots hitting the cobblestones of the pathway growing louder with every passing moment. Instinctively, Malon cast a glance in the direction of the archway, all too aware of the fact that it was the only exit and that, unlike what had been the case when they had been cornered in the stables, there was no stall for them to hide in. Trying her best to wiggle out of Zelda’s grasp, Malon looked towards Link who thankfully seemed to understand the question she wanted to ask.

Taking a step away from Zelda, Link nodded towards the sound, once again fiddling with the tip of his hat as he whispered. “Zelda, what are we doing?”

There was a moment where Zelda loosened her hold on her, Malon seizing the opportunity to step away from her.

Zelda barely seemed to notice, looking straight ahead instead as she spoke. “I will have to go. Don’t worry; Impa will make sure that you will get back to your class.”

“Wait—” Malon began, a sinking feeling in her stomach telling her that she already knew just what Zelda’s plan was.

Before she got the chance to finish the sentence, however, Zelda had turned to jump from the stairs leading up to the platform, landing in the stream next to it. Looking back up at them, Zelda shot them a grin. “Please don’t tell her where I went, will you?” without waiting for a response, she reached out, pressing against a stone in the wall. The next moment, Malon heard how a low, rumbling sound came from the wall, Zelda disappearing through a tiny whole that appeared between two stones, leaving them behind.

Turning back towards Link, Malon tried her best to calm down. It was a lost cause, her heart beating wildly in her chest as she tried to force out just a couple of words to let him know that it would be all right, only for her tongue to refuse to work with her.

They stood there in the total silence as the footsteps grew louder, a woman entering the courtyard only a few seconds after the part of the wall that had swung open closed behind Zelda once again.

She looked nothing like Anju. As silly as it was, that was the first thing Malon noticed, reaching out to take Link’s hand as she tried to force herself not to worry, not to let even a little bit of the fear that made her stomach feel like someone had tied a knot with it show. Where Anju always had a smile ready whenever she would look down at them, this woman seemed determined and serious, her uniform and the way the embroidered crest of the Hyrulean royal family appeared even more vivid against the blue colour of the fabric only making her look even scarier as she stood there, effectively blocking what was their only escape route after Zelda had disappeared. There was nowhere to hide, Malon knew that, and with the way the woman’s eyes widened, surprise flickering across her face for a moment before being replaced with the same stern expression again, it was clear that it was useless to even make an attempt at it. This was nothing like the time she had hid under her table in the class to be allowed to stay inside while it rained, Malon was certain of that.

Taking a step into the courtyard, the woman looked around, every part of her behaviour making it clear that, even if they had tried, they would not have been able to hide from her for long, before turning back towards them.

The seconds passed, Malon trying her best to figure out what to do, but then, her expression softening a bit, the woman took another step towards them. “I think you must have got lost, because you are not allowed to be here. Where are your parents?”

Knowing full well that it was her responsibility to answer, Malon took a step forwards, standing so that her shoulder was at least giving Link something to hide behind. “We’re here with our class, but…” trying her best to force the tears to appear, she blinked a couple of times, making her voice thin, “I… we got lost somewhere along the way, and now, we don’t know where they are.”

There was a moment of total silence, Malon waiting as the woman in front of them looked first at her, then at Link who was still hiding behind her, clinging onto his hat, before turning to cast a glance at the courtyard around them once more. For a second, Malon was almost certain that she knew that they were lying, that she would look at her and tell her that it was clearly not the truth, but then she sighed, some of the sternness leaving her posture to instead be replaced with a grimace that was almost a smile as the woman held out her hands, gesturing for them to come to her. “That happens all the time, so don’t worry, I am going to make sure that you will find your class again. I’m Impa, by the way. Who is your teacher?”

At her side, Link tightened his grip on her hand a little, letting her know that he too had recognised the name. Responding by brushing her thumb over the back of his hand, Malon nodded. “She’s called Anju and has red hair and a blue skirt.”

Impa nodded. “I think I saw someone who matches that description. Now, let’s go find her.”

Careful not to cast a glance in the direction of where Zelda had disappeared, Malon walked over to Impa, Link following along without a word.

“Good,” Impa said as she turned around to walk a couple of steps in front of them, constantly looking over her shoulder as they walked through the archway again, following the same pathway Malon had sprinted along just a few moments earlier, “may I ask for your names as well?”

Pointing towards herself, Malon tried her best to smile. “I’m Malon and this is Link.”

“Malon and Link,” Impa repeated, “well, I suppose that I don’t have to tell you that you were actually not allowed to enter that courtyard, do I?”

“No,” Malon mumbled, already sensing how Link grew just a bit more nervous, “no, you don’t have to. We didn’t even mean to go there, but we didn’t know where our class had gone so we searched for them, and then, suddenly, we found ourselves back there.” hoping to make the story just a bit more believable, but already feeling how it was a lost cause, Malon bowed her head, looking down at the tip of her shoes as she took a longer step to keep up with Impa.

That way, she did not have to look at her as she answered, but from the way Impa hesitated for a moment before responding, Malon could already tell that she was not buying her excuse. “You got lost and somehow made your way into the princess’ private courtyard, avoiding several guards in the process?”

Keeping her gaze fixed on the ground, Malon did her best not to react.

Perhaps her plan really worked, or maybe Impa took pity on them, for rather than stating the obvious and letting them know that it was a poor lie, Impa sighed. “Well, I suppose that I should not be all that surprised to hear that, given how laughably incompetent they have been lately, To think that the princess was able to sneak out of her private lessons without anyone noticing… well, no matter what, we should probably get you back to your class; I think that the museum will be closing in a little under an hour, so they are probably looking for you. Ah, here we are!” Impa made a sharp turn, pulling out bunch of keys from her trouser pocket. Malon did not miss the way she picked the correct key in the first try, the door opening with a soft click., Impa shoving the keys back into her pocket as she looked down at them “Do you think that you can find your teacher on your own? I… there is a situation I have to tend to as soon as possible.”

Just as Impa finished the question, Malon caught sight of the bright red colour of her teacher’s hair. Nodding furiously, Malon pulled Link closer to her, already halfway having made her way past Impa and into the room as she answered. “Yeah, we will be fine. Thank you for helping us!”

There was something in Impa’s eyes that Malon did not quite know what to think of as she nodded at them. For a moment, the question of whether or not she knew more than she had let them know, whether she might even know that there had been a third child who had been somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be that day, waited on the tip of her tongue, ready for Malon to ask for the answer to it, but then Impa returned the smile, the skin around her eyes wrinkling slightly. “You are welcome, but don’t let it become a habit.”

“We won’t,” Malon promised, already twirling around to begin pushing her way through the crowd. She did not look back to see if Impa had left or if she was perhaps still looking at them, waiting for a sign that they had been lying.

Despite everything she had got to see during the day, despite the fact that they had not had to walk around among all the other museum visitors, the closer she got to Anju and the rest of the class, the closer she got to where Saria was pointing towards the room they had first found Zelda in, the more the tiredness began to set in, soon reaching a point where Malon almost could not understand how she had been able to spend the last hour running around with Link and Zelda. Now, she just felt exhausted, already imagining how wonderfully soft her bed would be when she would get home.

“So you saw them back at the statue of the goddesses? And then no one saw them after that?” even through the general noise of the museum, Malon could still hear Anju’s voice. But where she was used to the soft sound of her laughs, Anju now sounded rather curt.

It felt like the floor disappeared below her, guilt rising up inside her chest the next moment, as Malon realised that what she was hearing in Anju’s voice was worry.

“Anju!” Malon raised her voice, all of the times Anju had reminded them to be quiet inside the museum meaning nothing to her in that moment. “Anju, we are here!”

It worked. Anju rose from the ground, turning around, a look that was somewhere between relief and an attempt at showing anger flickering across her face as she took a step towards them. “Malon, Link! We have been looking for you for ages! I was just about to call your parents, I—” Malon could almost see how Anju had to fight to push away the combination of worry and anger, taking a deep breath before she continued. “I trust that you understand that it was not at all an acceptable way to act. You were in a crowded placed, you had been given instructions to remain with the group, and yet, you disappeared.”

Already, the memory of how she had run through the secret passages seemed distant, Malon feeling warmth spread in her cheeks as she nodded.

For a moment, she was sure that Anju would continue, would remind them of the fact that they had not only abandoned the class, but also left Saria behind without a group when they had left. A second passed, and then, Anju let out a tiny hint of a laugh, the sound being enough to make Malon look up just in time to see her teacher shake her head slightly as she looked down at them. “I should be telling you to promise never to do that again, but I believe that you have already reached that conclusion on your own. And,” the smile returning to her face, Anju knelt down in front of them, “also, I have to admit that I am curious to know where you went. I searched through the entire museum without finding you. Where were you?”

Exchanging a glance with Link, Malon already knew what the answer to Anju’s question would be. “We went on an adventure!” they chorused.

“Adventure?” Anju raised an eyebrow, moving to stand up, all three of them walking back to where the rest of the class was waiting, their expressions ranging from Saria’s relief to Mido’s obvious annoyance. “Yes, it really can feel like you are transported back into the past when you look at these paintings.”

Looking over at Link, Malon could only stifle a laugh. With Zelda and her quest to show them everything there was to see within the castle, there had not even been a need for them to imagine that they were taking part in the legends; there had been adventure enough in the present for them, not that Anju would ever have to know about that.

Without uttering a word, Malon could feel the silent promise between herself, Link and Zelda take form, swearing to herself that she would never tell anyone about all the wonderful things she had seen.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this!


End file.
